Automatic mail-bag-delivering apparatus.



IMO-834,863 PATENTED OCT. 30,1906.

- G. B. ALLIS. 1

AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAB. 12,1906,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

7 AUTOMATIC MAIL-BAG-DELIVERING APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

' Applicati fil d March 12, 1906. Serial No. 805,531.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. ALLIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at LittleRock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mail- Bag-Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. g

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to mail-'bag-collecting apparatus designed more particularly for transferring mail-bags from a fixed station to a mail-carrying car while the latter is in motion.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above general adaptation which will be simple in construction, reliable in operation during movement of the car in either direction, and in which the mailbag when delivered-will be securely held in the receptacle provided for its reception; and it consists of the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which show one of the forms which the invention may take, Figure 1 is a general perspective view illustrating so much of the car and delivering-station, with their adjuncts, as will make clear the construction and operation of the device; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the receiving bag or receptacle, showing its closed position. 1

Suitably erected adjacent the track is an upright or standard A, having a mortise or groove a at its top, in which is pivotally mounted at b the supporting-arm B, carrying a weight W at its end remote from the track, so that when not in use the arm B will be swung in the direction of the "arrow, Fig. 1.

Projecting inward from the upright or standard A is a bracket 0/, on the top surface of which the supporting-arm B rests when in condition of use, as indicated in Fig. 1. Secured to and depending from the arm B at a point between its track end and pivot b is a stud C, carrying at its lower end an eyebolt c, to which is universally jointed or hinged the mailbag-supporting latch D, preferably provided with a limiting-pin (i, so that the loop of the mail-bag may be sustained upon .said latch D near its free end. From the universal hinge connection of the latch D with the study C it will be evident that not only can the free end of the latch D drop when free to do so, but said latch may swing horizontally, as will further appear.

Freely pivoted to the track end of the supporting-arm B is the trip-catch E, the lower end of which is bent substantially at right angles, as indicated at e, to provide a flat supporting-surface for the free end of the latch D, the length of the catch E being such that the latch D will be maintained in a substantially horizontal position, as shown, when the latch and trip-catch are engaged.

From the construction thus far described it will be evident that should the trip-catch E be struck when the parts are assembled, as

in Fig. 1, the end 6 of the tri -catch will be moved from under the end 0 the latch and the mail-bag supported thereby be allowed to drop, the latch D at such times turning downward upon its pivotal connection 0 withthe stud C and being capable at such time also of swinging horizontally to some extent.

A trip-pin F, extended from the car G, is

adapted to contact with the trip-catch E as the car moves past the delivering-station, such trip-pin being put in position by the attendant in the car just prior to reaching the station and then being removed when no longer necessary. This trip-pin F may be passed through an opening f in the side of the car and, if desired, a separate brace f may be employed to hold the trip-pin to its work, such brace being placed at the edge of the doorway, as shown.

In order that themail-bag may be properly caught and secured when it is dropped on the supporting-latch D, there is provided a mail-bag catcher or basket adapted to be secured across the doorway of the car or other convenient location and upon the mailbag being dropped therein to automatically close and secure the mail-bag in the catcher or basket. The form of this mail bag catcher or basket may be varied between wide limits; but as one of the preferred forms thereof the drawings disclose such catcher or basket formed of two cross-bars or side frames g g, pivoted together at g, the ends of said cross-bars being suitably joined by side pieces Secured to the side bars g of the catcher or basket there is a suitable fabric H, (best indicated in Fig. 2,) which may be either of textile material, leather, or the like. The cross-bars of the catcher or basket are normally acted upon by a spring h to close the basket, the tendency of the spring being to move the parts of the basket into the position indicated in Fig. 2, so that a mail-bag having been caught in the basket or catcher will be locked therein and held against accidental displacement until the attendant purposely opens the catcher or basket and removes the mail-bag.

Secured to one of the cross-arms g is a catch it, which cooperates with the pin it on the other cross-bar or leg and when in position as indicated in Fig. 1 will hold the basket in its open position. Pivotally mounted at k between the cross-bars g at opposite ends of the basket is a drop-bar K, having a detent k, which when the bag is in its open position, as indicated in Fig. 1, stands behind the catch h. With the parts in position as shown in Fig. 1 and the basket open, should any weight, such as a mail-bag, be dropped upon the trip-bar K it will turn upon its pivotal connections is and force the detent against the catch h, thus tripping the catch and permitting the spring h to exert its force in closing the basket or catcher.

Secured in convenient location on the side of the car near the doorway are a series of hooks L, preferably two, on each side of the doorway, one above the other, as indicated in Fig. 1, and these hooks are adapted to engage one of the bars 9 of the basket or catcher and support it in position, as indicated in Fig. 1, the basket or catcher being preferably supported in inclined position by engaging the upper hook at one side of the doorway and the lower hook at the other side, at which time the lower end Z of the cross-bar 9 will bear against the edge of the doorway and maintain the basket or catcher in position, as indieated'in Fig. 1, the basket at such time being in its open position, as shown.

It willbe obvious, of course, that the details of the basket or catcher and the locking mechanism for holding it in open position and the trip device for tripping the lock to allow the basket to close may be varied in construction, the essentials in this respect being that when the mail-bag drops into the basket it will automatically operate the unlocking device, and thereby permit the basket to close and hold the mail-bag in secure position within. From the construction thus described it will be noted that a mailbag being placed in position on the latch D and the trip-catch 0 being swung under the end thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, it will be so supported until the approaching car going at any desirable speed has projected therefrom the trip-pin F, which will engage the catch C as the car passes the delivering-station, whereupon the trip-catch will be swung from under the end of the latch D and the mail-bag be allowed to fall. The catcher or basket having been first placed in position as indicated and held in such open position by the mechanism described, the bag will fall into the basket and, striking the trip-bar K, will operate the unlocking device, whereuponthe basket will close, due to the action of the spring h, and securely hold the mailbag within until such time as it may be removed by an attendant. The supportingarm B being thus relieved of the weight of the mail-bag will have the trap end thereof raised, due to the weight W, so that it will be out of the way of passing trains. Asuitablydepending cord or other device M may be employed to turn the supporting-arm B into its horizontal position again. when it is desired to set the device for the said mail-bag, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device of the character described, an upright or standard, a supporting-arm mounted thereon, a mail bag supporting latch pivotally connected to said arm and adapted to support a mail-bag, a trip-catch pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and having its free end turned to provide a rest for the free end of the supportinglatch, and means adapted to be projected from a passing car to engage the trip-catch. and move its turned end from under the latch.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of an upright or standard, a supporting-arm mounted thereon, a stud projecting downward from said arm at a point between its track end and said standard, a mail-bag-supporting latch having a hinged connection with said stud at its lower end, a trip-catch pivoted to the end of the supporting-arm and having its lower portion bent to provide a rest for the end of the latch, and a trip-pin adapted to be projected from the side of a passing car to engage and move the trip-catch from under the latch to thereby free the mail-ba from the latch.

3. In a device oi the character described, the combination of an upright or standard, a supporting-arm mounted thereon, a stud projecting downward from said arm at a point between its track end and said standard, a mailbag-supporting latch having a universal hinged connection with said stud at its lower end, a trip-catch pivoted to the end. of the supporting-arm and having its lower portion bent to provide a rest for the end of the latch, and a trip-pin adapted to be projected from the side of a passing car to engage and move the trip-catch from under the latch to thereby free the mail-bag from the latch.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of an upright or standard, a supporting-arm pivotally mounted thereon, a bracket secured to the upright or standard to determine the operative position of the said arm, a stud projecting downward from the supporting-arm between its track end and the standard or upright, a mail-bagsup porting latch having a universal hinged connection with the lower end of said stud and provided with a limiting-pin near its free end, a trip-catch pivoted to the end of the supporting-arm and having its lower end bent or turned to provide a resting-surface for the free end of the latch, a trip-pin adapted to be projected from the side of the car to engage and move the trip-catch from under the latch to free the mail-bag, and means carried by the .car for catching the mail-bag as it falls from the latch.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a standard or upright, a

,o supporting-arm mounted thereon, a mailbag-supporting latch pivotally connected to the said arm and adapted to support a mailbag, a trip-catch pivotally connected to the outer end of said arm and having a restingsurface for the free end of the latch, means for disengaging the catch from thelatch to permit the mail-bag to drop, and a catcher or basket secured to the passing car for receiving the mail-bag.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of an upright or standard, a latch and cooperating catch for supporting a mail-bag from said standard, a basket or receiver connected to the car, means for holding said basket or receiver in open position to receive the mail-bag, and means operated by the mail-bag as it drops into said basket or receiver, to trip said holding means and permit the basket or receiver to close.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of an upright or standard, a latch and cooperating catch for supporting a mail-bag from said standard, a basket or receiver connected to the car, devices normally acting to close said basket or receiver, means for holding said basket or receiver in open position to receive the mail-bag, and means operated by the mail-bag as it drops into said basket or receiver, to trip said holding means and permit the basket or receiver to close.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination ofa standard, a latch and cooperating catch to support a mail-bag from said sta'ndard,.a trip device carried by a passing car to free the mail-bag, a basket or receiver adapted to be secured to the side of the car in inclined position to receive the mail-bag as it drops, a s rin for normally closing said basket, a locking evice for holding the basket open, and atrip-bar and detent operated by the falling mail-bag to trip the locking device and permit the basket to close. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE B.'ALLIS.

Witnesses:

T. O. SALTER, H. B. Anna 

